Poison in her Veins
by devilishlysas
Summary: Sylar makes Claire a proposition that could have fatal consequences. One shot based on 'I am Sylar' and s3 finale spoilers. Disclaimer: I don't own heroes or it's characters. Spoilers from throughout season 3. Updated Chapter 2 as a follow up/sequel .
1. Poison in her Veins

**Title: Poison in her Veins**

**Author: devilishlysas**

**Pairing: Sylar/Claire **

**Rating: PG-13 (minor swearing, some violence)**

**Warning/Spoilers: One shot based on the 'I am Sylar', and season 3 finale spoilers – you know the ones, a little wine and talk of immortality.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own heroes or its characters, but I can pretend.**

**Summary: **_"You don't have to be alone Claire, nor do I. We are both going to be in this world for the foreseeable future. We need to plan for that. Unless you plan to hide from me forever?" he leant closer and she felt his chest press against hers until their foreheads were almost touching. "Do you really want to be an immortal victim Claire, afraid for the rest of your unnaturally long life; that the monster is waiting for you around every corner?"_

Claire stalked around the corridors wildly, why they'd thought separating had been a good idea she'd never understand. Granted there was the whole if one of us gets caught it's not all of us line. But then they hadn't exactly known that she had tagged along and Nathan hadn't mentioned it to them. Score one for bio-dad she supposed, letting her join the fight for once. Except that she was lost in Nathan's offices hoping and praying that most of the staff were absent at this time of night. Claire was so focused on trying not to get caught by Danko and his team, if they were even here, after all there were supposed to be cameras all over the place, that she didn't notice until it was too late that there was a shadow cast in the dim lamp light. Her eyes widened and she felt her fist tighten, she wasn't casting that shadow. Turning she expected the worst, a SWAT team, Danko with an assault rifle, anything but the somewhat unnerving sight of her mother.

"Mom?" she asked shaking her head in disbelief. "What are you doing here?" she hesitated a nagging thought tugging at the back of her mind, her father had told her that Sandra was in Washington, trying to find her of course, but there was no reason for her to be in this building.

"Claire!" her mother exclaimed, that soft Texas lilt evident as she dashed across the space between them, her arms wide as she enveloped her in a crushing hug. Claire went rigid as her mother grasped her face in her hands and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Oh my god Claire. I was so worried about you." she hugged her again, but Claire couldn't release the dreadful feeling in her gut. Sylar could change shapes; her father had confessed that he'd tricked him by impersonating her mother already.

"When the SWAT team burst through the door I thought they'd find you, but when they came down, they were so angry Claire. Dragged Lyle and I into this holding facility, tried to get us both to tell them where you were hiding, but of course we didn't know anything, not that it would have mattered." Sandra's hands grasped her shoulders, shaking her. "What happened, where did you go? Noah wouldn't tell me anything, just that you were safe, but with him that could mean practically anything. You didn't send word Claire, nothing, in five days, I've been going out of my mind!"

"Really." Claire replied tersely, she had no idea what to do, it looked and sounded just like her mom, but there was the inexplicable case of her being here, now at this time of night. "What are you doing here mom?"

"Me?" Sandra's voice achieved a shrill pitch and she narrowed her gaze at her as if she'd told her she'd just flunked math.

"You disappear under a SWAT teams nose, for days without word, I have your father pointing guns at me and accusing me of being Sylar, Mr Muggles is sick, and Lyle's been skipping school, and you want me to explain what I'm doing here!"

"Yes." Claire replied taking a hesitant step away from her.

"Claire!" Sandra snapped and Claire winced, it certainly sounded like her mother, no one else could say her name with quite the same tone that made her stomach sink. "It is me! My god if I have to convince one more person of that this week I am going to go crazy." She was shaking and Claire hesitated, as tears slid down her mother's cheeks. She looked so close to a breakdown.

"What did we do for my eleventh birthday?" Claire asked her quietly, trying not to break at the sight of her mother sobbing into her purse as she restrained herself from reaching for her again.

"What?"

"My eleventh birthday?" Claire replied parting her legs slightly, whether to run or fight she had no idea which, or if either would help.

"I..." Sandra paused and looked nervously down at her hands, "I we went out, to a restaurant." She managed finally.

Claire frowned, "Which one?" It wasn't an idle question, her mother should remember that night, it had been a total disaster, the kitchen had caught on fire and they'd all sat there quietly waiting for 40mintues for their order growing more impatient, before they smelt the smoke. The staff had assured them the fire was out, but that they just needed half an hour to clear out the smoke, for health reasons, then they'd have their meal. So they'd waited, complimentary drinks had come, finally the meals, nothing they'd ordered arrived, what had come was burnt to a crisp and tasted like ash. By that point no one was speaking to each other, until Dad stalked to the door suddenly, and arrived back with a huge bundle of Indian. Apparently his over long bathroom trip had included a hurried phone call to the local take-out.

"I." She stumbled again looking stricken, "Claire I don't remember, my memory isn't always reliable, you know that, I don't remember. I remember you're thirteenth, we had a big cake in the house for you, you had a sleepover!" she was trying so hard but Claire stared at her coldly.

"Sylar's been in our house, been through our stuff, there are pictures of all of that in there. You're not my mother." She snarled. "You sick bastard!" She added with feeling, before grasping hold of the lamp to the side of her, she didn't really expect it to do a great deal but it was better than nothing as she swung it solidly. There was a sickening crack as it connected with Sylar's head, and her mother's body crumpled to the floor. Claire turned and started to run, trying doors as she went, she grasped the handles but everything was locked. The sense of déjà vu was so strong as she threw her body against the solid wood doors and tried desperately to put distance between herself and the serial killer. She spared him a glance and froze, her mother's body was still lying there, but there was a growing pool of blood beneath her head. Claire stopped dead, her legs felt suddenly like rubber and she fell against the wall.

"Mom." She managed barely able to get the word out past her throat, which felt constricted, her heart began to pound in her chest as she forced her unwilling legs to move, until half tripping she landed at her mother's body. "Mom!" she sobbed, her hands rose to her face as she took in the pool of blood, her eyes drifted over to the lamp, the bloodstained base told her exactly where and just how hard she'd struck with it. "No." She grasped her mother's body and brushed shaking fingers against her pulse point. Claire let out a keening sound as she found nothing, she moved her hand, trying another spot, that's all it was; she was looking in the wrong place. True panic bubbled inside of her that she clamped down on desperately, she hadn't killed her mother, she hadn't there was no way, it wasn't possible! Clutching her mother to her she turned her over, her wide open eyes, frozen in surprise her mouth open; it chilled her to the core. Claire stared blankly down at the face of the woman that had taken her in as a child, taken her, loved her, raised her, this woman was her mother, blood or not. Her mother was dead. She'd killed her mother. Claire collapsed back against the wall, staring at her bloodstained hands in disbelief, unable to form a single coherent thought as she shook violently.

"And the irony keeps growing." Claire didn't even look up, she barely even registered the fact that someone had spoken. "I mean, I told you we were alike Claire... and look, you've killed your mother." Raising her eyes Claire felt an emotion flash through her; rage. "Just like I did in fact... by accident. Well as accidentally as you can stab someone, or bash their head in." He added offhandedly, stalking up to stand over the body with a look of appreciation on his face.

"You!" her voice was more snarl than anything as she used the wall to propel her to her feet as she lunged, her fingers like claws. A flick of his hand sent her crashing backwards through the wooden doors behind her to crash against a wall, sending debris flying everywhere. Momentarily stunned, more out of surprise than any feeling of pain Claire sat there picking herself up and popping bones back into place.

"I have a proposition for you Claire." Claire stared at him in disbelief from across the room.

"My mother's dead because of you!" she screeched charging him again. This time when she landed against the wall she didn't fall back down, he held her there pinned.

"Actually she's dead because of you." Sylar stepped over the remains of a plant pot and into the room. "I didn't bash her brains in with a lamp." He raised an eyebrow at her as if she was in some way stupid. "If she had been me though, I'm curious as to why you thought that would help?"

Claire had no voice, she just wanted to be left alone, wanted to crawl up into a ball and cry, but the sight of her mother's body, lying in a pool of blood that was slowly seeping into the light carpet was directly in her line of sight and it was all she could see.

Sylar snapped his fingers at her, suddenly inches from her face; she hadn't even been aware of him moving, let alone talking. "Claire." He snapped impatiently. "Pay attention. I have a proposition for you. I think you should pay attention to it given as it concerns your very recently deceased mother."

That got Claire's attention, her eyes dragged from her mother over to his midnight pools and she had to fight the urge to scream violently in his face.

"You don't seem to be firing on all cylinders, so I'm going to spell it out for you Claire." He replied smoothly, coming to stand directly in front of her suspended form, pressing his hands into the wall beside her head so that she had to look up at him.

"Your blood can heal the dead."

It took a full ten seconds for her to register what he was saying, a further five to understand what he was getting at; Claire sucked in a sharp gasp of air and her eyes shot across to her mother as she renewed her struggles once more to free herself from his hold.

"Let me go, I have to get to her, Sylar let me down!" she screeched at him, finally drawing her eyes back to his to see the smirk on his lips and she froze. He cocked his head, as if examining her before he raised his index finger and very deliberately drew it down her cheek.

"Like I said, I have a proposition for you Claire."

"Let me help her first, please." She struggled, but it was like trying to move in quicksand, the more she fought the tighter the pressure seemed to get around her limbs.

"She's not going anywhere Claire." He pointed out smoothly and she flinched as his words struck her soundly.

"What do you want?" she snapped, losing patience with his games, the thought that she'd been stupid enough not to remember about her blood rolled around inside of her like lead. "You already took my ability. I don't have anything else for you!" she cursed silently, not able to take her eyes off her mother.

Sylar's hand grasped her chin, sharply forcing her head to his, and locking their eyes together, apparently he liked to command her full attention.

"Funnily enough your blood brings me to my proposal." His thumb brushed across her jaw and she shivered, she wanted to scream at him, he had no right to touch her, to hold her like this whilst her mother lay dead not feet from them. Because of him! He'd already cost her one mother, she couldn't lose another.

"We're immortal Claire." She blinked, failing to see where this was going. He sighed, before leaning in closer so that she was forced to tense her stomach muscles to avoid touching him. "We are both going to be around for a very long time, the two of us, and your family all of them, will be just as dead as poor Sandra there." Claire sucked in a sharp breath, feeling her chest burn, she longed to sob, to cry, to do something other than stare helplessly into his eyes, but she couldn't even move her head.

"Forever is a very long time to be alone Claire."

"Stop it." She snapped. "Stop playing games, just spit it out." She held his gaze, certain it was amusement she could see dancing in his dark eyes.

"You don't have to be alone Claire, nor do I. We are both going to be in this world for the foreseeable future. We need to plan for that. Unless you plan to hide from me forever?" he leant closer and she felt his chest press against hers until their foreheads were almost touching. "Do you really want to be an immortal victim Claire, afraid for the rest of your unnaturally long life, that the monster is waiting for you around every corner?"

Claire could honestly say she had never considered it, she always just assumed that her father, or Peter, someone would kill him that Sylar would get what was coming to him, like all villains were supposed to. But what if he didn't? Her blood pounded in her head and her throat felt dry, what if didn't die, just like her...

"What do you want?" she'd meant for it to sound strong, to come out as defiant as she could manage, but instead all she managed was a whisper.

"I want you to consider the fact that we are a pair Claire." She closed her eyes, not able to look at his face when he said something so awful. "That maybe we are destined to be together, the only two immortals." His hands left their position beside her on the wall and hovered at her waist, she remained absolutely still, as if he were a snake about to strike. "We could have an eternity to learn to love one another Claire." A sob escaped her lips and she swallowed the rest of it, not giving him the satisfaction as she felt tears leak out of her eyes as she narrowed them on him.

"Just to show you that I'm serious Claire, I'm going to let you go and heal your mother." Claire gasped in sudden relief as she dropped to the floor, landing on the remnants of the small table. Momentarily stunned she sat there, wasting precious seconds, before she skirted around his legs and ran to her mother, dropping to her knees beside the body. Casting her eyes about she scanned the area for something, anything sharp. Sylar grasped her trailing hand as he squatted down next to her, she tried to pull away but he gave her a piercing look as he raised his finger to her wrist. Sylar dragged his finger up her wrist stopping at the hollow of her elbow, the skin split and her blood spilled out. Claire didn't feel a thing, she wrenched her arm free of him and stared hopelessly down at her mother's body, having no idea what to do as she raised her arm above her mother's head, letting her blood drip over the open wound. Her blood stopped and she glanced at her arm, which was of course healed, she didn't even look, just threw it out to him, drawing it back bloody and open as she repeated the action, her attention on her mother's head.

"It's not working." She choked back the sob, turning finally to stare at him. He considered her for a moment, before raising his hand over her mother's body, Claire couldn't help it she watched in mild fascination as the fresh blood that dripped from her arm veered now as it dropped, under his control. His large dark eyebrows knit together with concentration as he held his hand over the body, slowly her blood began to disappear, sinking into her mother's skin. Claire clutched her hands together as Sylar leant back, sliding back to his full height with ease, as the wound closed.

Sandra sucked in a huge gasp of air, and instantly began coughing violently.

"Mom!" Claire cried, reaching for her as she attempted to help her to sit up. "Mom, oh my god, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She sobbed as she brought her mother's face up to hers. She met her blue wide frightened eyes and flinched, her own mother was afraid of her. "Please I didn't know, I'm sorry." Claire pleaded, trying to grasp onto her mother's hands with her own bloodied ones, but she withdrew, her whole body shaking violently as she inched away. It was then that her mother caught sight of Sylar, she balked and scrambled away, noticing for the first time the blood-soaked carpet. Her mouth opened as she spied the smashed lamp, bringing her hand up to her head, before turning pained eyes back on Claire.

"Was I...?" she didn't have to finish what she was trying to say for Claire to understand '_had_ _she_ _died?'_

"I fixed it, you're ok now, I'm sorry, but you're okay now!" Claire was pleading, but for what she didn't know, she wasn't sure she deserved forgiveness, but she needed her mother to say something more, anything.

Once more Sandra's eyes rose to Sylar, who was standing arms folded leaning against the wall watching the exchange with interest. Her eyes narrowed at him. "You did this." she snarled.

"Technically not." He replied indicating Claire with a nod of his head.

"Yes you did." Sandra snapped, the venom in her voice truly something as she dragged herself up to her feet, Claire reached out a hand, which she grasped and together they got her standing. "You drove them to this, Noah, Claire!" she rasped at him, but her whole body was trembling, Claire was fairly certain from a mixture of fear and fury in equal parts.

"Well I suppose that parts true enough. But it's not paranoia if I really am out to get them." He pointed out smirking at them both, before he fixed his attention back on Claire.

"We had a deal Claire, I let you undo killing your mother, that leaves our other issue." His hand snaked out and grasped her wrist, but there was more than just physical force behind it as she was propelled into the room. Her mother let out a shriek as Sylar spun on her he raised his hand and the double doors he had smashed open using her body earlier slammed shut in her mother's face, held in place by his ability.

Claire felt lead settle in her stomach as her mother's shouts and banging refused to lessen, Sylar flicked his wrist at the door and there was a thud, Claire made to charge forward but his grip on her wrist tightened.

"She's fine Claire, but this is a private conversation, and I'm not sure I'd have your full attention if your mother was screeching at the door." Sylar dragged her with him as he moved into the room further, his other hand clamped around her shoulder as he guided her into a seat around a small coffee table. There was no choice, she sat down heavily, trying to shrug free of his hand, he obliged, instead sliding his arm lower and dropping it around her shoulder as he took a seat beside her. Claire watched him with disbelief as he waved his hand at a cabinet by the window, it opened revealing a mini-bar, the door flew off it and she instinctively ducked as it hurtled through the air, but it bounced off the wall behind her harmlessly. A wine bottle emerged as he plucked two glasses from the side and deposited them both on the table in front of her, catching hold of the wine himself. The cork flew out and she flinched at the sound as it disturbed the silence.

"I'm underage." She told him lamely, not sure what else to say as he poured them both a glass of red wine.

"For now." He replied holding out the wine glass to her. Claire frowned at it.

"What are we doing?" she asked waving at the glasses in confusion.

"I thought we should toast to the future Claire. Our future." He offered the glass to her again, she took it numbly; after all there was the possibility of using it as a weapon.

"You're insane." She told him with absolute certainty, "Truly, seriously, out of your mind." She added just to clarify in case he'd missed it.

"Maybe." He replied, bringing the glass to his nose and inhaling deeply as a soft smile crept across his lips. "But I'm not wrong."

"I am never going to love you." Claire was certain of that, nothing he could do would ever erase the terrible things he'd done to her, to her family. He'd almost cost her all four of her parents, Meredith alone had been bad enough.

"Forever is a long time to say never Claire." He replied, brushing his hand across the skin on her back, she stiffened but didn't attempt to pull out of his grasp, what would be the point, if he wanted he could pin her and stop her moving an inch. "And I intend to give this my full attention, I can be..." he leant closer, until she could feel his cool breath fanning over her face, "persuasive."

"Why this, why now?" she asked trying to claw some sanity from the situation, she needed something, someone to explain it to her. How could he go from wanting to kill her, to wanting to turn her into a killer, to living happily ever after with her?

He shrugged helplessly, smiling that stupid smile again that set every nerve she had on edge. "You could say I had something of an epiphany. Parents can have that effect Claire. You should know; you've been disappointed in all four of yours at one point or another." Claire blinked, trying to decipher his meaning; did that mean he'd found his real parents? Did she care?

"So what, did you find out that your parents were normal, or worse, good people? Did you lose your scapegoat for why you're as sick as you are?"

Sylar didn't smile, not even a flicker of amusement on his features, he was still and utterly calm, too calm. "No." He replied finally and she released the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "No, my father was every inch the monster I am, maybe worse, I don't think he regretted a single life he took." Claire found herself clutching the wine glass so hard that she almost snapped it; carefully she prised open her fingers and focused on trying not to look at him. "I think the only thing he ever truly regretted, was that he would die, a pathetic washed out old man, never having achieved anything. All those abilities, all that power, and it had all been too easy, no challenge, and absolutely nothing to show for it in the end."

"So you don't want to end up what?" she stared at him in mild disgust, the thought of his father just added to that feeling. "Dying alone?"

"We can't die Claire." He pointed out sharply. "But to live with all these abilities and never actually achieve anything, to never wield real power; to spend an eternity chasing small game." He smirked and she felt she'd missed the reference somewhere. "Hell!" He added vehemently.

"And I'm what?" she opened her mouth mortified, "Big game?"

Sylar leant closer until their noses were almost brushing, drawing his wine glass alongside hers. "You're the only game Claire and we're going to take forever learning the rules." He leant back and clinked his glass against hers whilst she stared incredulous and horrified at the notion. "Cheers." He threw the wine back into his mouth and she gripped her glass so hard that this time it did shatter, she ignored the shards and the red staining her jeans as it traced down her hand.

There was a crash outside from the corridor, voices raised, she recognised them but she was too preoccupied to focus as something pounded on the solid doors, succeeding in moving them fractionally against Sylar's ability.

"You're going to love me Claire, one day," his voice drew her attention fully onto him again as he pierced her with his midnight stare. "Because in the end, it's just going to be the two of us, and you don't want to be alone forever Claire." His lips pressed against hers before she could even consider pulling away or closing her open mouth, she felt his tongue sweep inside, tasted the red wine on his breath. Then he was gone, the door crashed inwards and Peter and Nathan sprawled into the room in a heap.

Claire sat perfectly still, not trusting herself to move, the ghost of his lips seemed to press upon her still, as the words sunk into her, seeming to slide beneath her skin, seeping into her veins like poison.

"Claire!" Peter was in front of her, waving his hand in front of her unfocused eyes. "What did he do to her?" he exclaimed as Nathan eased himself onto her other side, he lifted her hand that still gripped what remained of the wine glass. Carefully he turned her palm face up and gently pulled the larger pieces of glass out of her hand, dropping them onto the table, so that her hand could heal.

"I'm fine." Claire told them quietly, not quite able to meet their eyes yet.

"Where is he Claire, where's Sylar?" Claire raised her head and met her mother's eyes, tears streaked her cheeks, but Claire was surprised to find that hers were dry; she didn't feel like crying, this was deeper, she just felt hollow. Because something inside of her recognised the truth in every word Sylar had spoken, he had never lied to her, not once, he was quite possibly the only person that could claim that. But Sylar's words had done their work, they'd eat away at her, gnawing a pit into her stomach; even now she could feel the despair at the notion of eternity with only Sylar for company. He would break her from the inside out, and he hadn't even needed to touch her to do it.

"He's gone." She told them quietly.

"We need to find him, go after him!" Peter exclaimed, as she pulled herself to her feet, ignoring their offered hands. "He's planning something; we need to stop it, before he comes back for us all!"

Claire turned away from them all, feeling sick and bone tired. "He's not coming back." She replied quietly enough that they fell quiet to listen. "Not anytime soon."

"How do you know that Claire?" Nathan snapped.

Finally Claire found the strength to raise her head and turn back to face them focusing on her mother's heartbroken eyes, "Because he got what he came for."


	2. Driftwood in his Wake

**Title:** **Driftwood in his Wake **

**Pairing: Sylar/Claire**

**Rating: PG-13 (some violence/minor swearing)**

**Warning/Spoilers: **Sequel to Poison in her Veins (I'd recommend reading that one first, or it probably won't make as much sense) – One shot based on the 'I am Sylar', and season 3 finale spoilers – you know the ones, a little wine and talk of immortality.

**Summary:** Claire considers Sylar's proposition, but how do you begin to consider forever? Does she even have a choice?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Heroes or its fabulous characters.

The gunfire pierced the stunned silence and everyone dived for cover, Claire followed suit as one too many bullets hit the concrete, behind her at roughly head height.

"Give it up!" Danko's voice rang out and she glanced beside her at the others, Nathan was gripping her wrist firmly as if afraid she might bolt forward. Peter on the other hand was ducked down behind a crate, attempting to stem the Haitian's bleeding, Claire's chest constricted, the Haitian was their secret weapon; they couldn't lose him. She hoped that Peter had already copied his power, just in case; otherwise their plan to erase the memories of everyone inside Building 26 before attempting to get to the President, was doomed.

Not for the first time she wished Hiro and Matt were here, but whilst they had certainly freed the majority of the prisoners in the building, they hadn't hung about. As it was they were one actually offensive superpower short of being super. Unless she counted her Dad, she spared his tightly coiled form a look as he looked through some sort of pocket mirror around the corner of his crate, his gun as always drawn and ready. But as it was, they had a girl that could heal, a Senator that could fly, an older lady that could only see the future when she was asleep, and two heroes that could disrupt abilities but were otherwise useless against normal human beings. On the bright side they did have Micah, but aside from putting the whole place on permanent lock down, erasing all the hard drives and corrupting the camera feed there wasn't a whole lot else he could to do help. At least he wasn't trapped in the hanger with them, although she imagined watching it all from behind a monitor, helpless, was possibly worse.

"You're surrounded. Come out now with your hands above your head!" Danko barked at them again; Claire swallowed the retort she wanted to make, now wasn't the time. Sparing a second to whip her head around the corner and scan the faces of the soldiers with him, they were coming around from the sides, she'd seen enough cop movies with her dad to know that they were going to be flushed out any minute now. Squeezing her eyes shut Claire considered the irony, here she was not even 24 hours later after being concerned that she'd live forever with only Sylar for company, when she should have really been concerned about getting a bullet in the brain. Danko wouldn't let them leave alive, she was absolutely certain of it, they, that is her whole family, were the real problem in this war on abilities.

Turning her head to the side she met Peter's wide eyes as he scanned the meagre surroundings, unfortunately Micah's lockdown, whilst keeping the soldiers contained, also had the rather nasty side effect of locking them in too and they weren't as well armed. Briefly she glanced at the pistol her father had given her, well technically both father's, apparently they hadn't wanted her defenceless, not after what had happened with Sylar. Which she had point blank refused to elaborate on further than what she'd said initially.

"Nathan." Peter called across to them, whispering harshly. "We have no choice."

"He'll execute us all." Her father snapped, gripping his gun tightly "You've seen how he works Nathan. There is no middle ground here."

"We have no weapons, they have body armour, automatic weapons, and they know how to use them, we have pistols and probably one of us knows how to shoot straight." Peter argued sharply, pressing a little hard against the Haitain's stomach and causing him to hiss in pain. "If we go out there, maybe we get the chance up close to do something."

Nathan dropped his head, and Claire could see the shimmer of sweat on his brow, "Pete's right Bennet. What choice do we have?" He took a deep breath and readjusted his tie. "We're coming out!" he called out. He lifted his hands up into the air and slowly stood exposing his chest to their line of fire, red dot's clustered around it, but no one fired. "All of us." He shot a look at them, as one by one they stood, arms raised.

"Drop the weapons and kick them towards me." Danko instructed, they did as requested, moving around the crates to face him and his men head on. "On your knees." He added again, indicating with his rifle at them all. Claire caught Angela's grim look as she gingerly lowered herself down, they all got to their knees, hands behind their heads, defeated. Claire couldn't move, she stood staring at them and back at Danko in disbelief that it had come to this.

"On your knees Bennet!" Danko snarled at her, practically shoving the rifle into her face. His hand grasped her shoulder and he knocked her legs out from under her, his pistol was out in his hand before anyone seemed to be able to voice a protest, until he pressed it against the back of her head.

"Danko stop, just think about what you're doing. We've surrendered, imagine what we're worth to the government, to study our abilities. You're holding a living breathing cure for practically any injury; her blood can resurrect the dead." Angela spoke up quickly, for a moment Claire wondered if her words had got through, because the pressure on the back of her head wavered.

"I don't care what benefits they think they can get from you freaks. As far as I'm concerned your all a risk to national security, and to normal human beings everywhere. Too dangerous to be allowed to live." The gun pressed into the back of her head, forcing her head forwards, so she had no choice but to look at the concrete floor. "Blondie here is no exception." There was a shout, out of her peripheral vision she saw her father attempt to charge and she heard the smack of metal against flesh; but it was masked by the sound of the gun at her head going off. Her eyes squeezed shut and head bowed she waited for the impact she wouldn't feel, for her eyes to close, nothing happened.

Claire opened her eyes and raised her head.

"What the hell?" Danko snarled and the gun went off again, Claire spun to look up at him, coming face to face with two utterly stationary bullets; that hung suspended in midair as if held up by strings.

A soldier to the right raised his weapon and a burst of bullets tore from his weapon all aimed at her chest or head, they slowed coming to a stop inches from her. Claire felt her whole body shake violently, confronted with the very real possibility of her own death.

"You!" Danko hissed, she frowned and glanced up at him, wondering how on earth he thought she was supposed to be doing this, before she noticed his eye-line was focused entirely on one of his own men. "What are you doing." He rasped, "I thought this was what you wanted, this was the plan!" he snarled looking mad enough to spit nails, but there was the hint of something else in his voice, Claire didn't know him well enough to be sure, but she thought she detected the hint of fear. Following his gaze she fixed on the young blonde, mildly handsome soldier stood in front of them who's weapon was held loosely in his hand, there was nothing remarkable about him, nothing but the smirk on his face.

"Plan's changed." He replied and Claire felt her insides liquefy, she should have known.

"Sylar." She breathed, and that smirk grew even as his body began to ripple, the skin contorting and twisting as he shuddered releasing a groan of pain before the real Sylar emerged. Danko raised his weapon, not hesitating as he unleashed a spray of bullets at Sylar, apparently his men weren't slow on the uptake, almost the moment he started firing they joined him.

Sylar raised his hands and the bullets ploughed into a wall of nothing, stopping dead, the occasional one got through to impact his chest, but of course it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest. He flicked his wrist sending the bullets slamming back into the closest black clad body, Danko rolled out of the way, and impressively his gun was still firing as he did so, his target fixed at Sylar's head. But Sylar was just having fun with them, her father was on his feet wrestling loose a weapon from one of the dead men, as electricity arced all around them. Agonised screams tore from those not fortunate enough to have found cover; Claire attempted to move but Danko had her by the arms.

"Let her go!" Her father snapped at the man behind her, aiming his weapon at a point above her head. But Danko was clearly thinking an indestructible shield was a good thing, he swung her in front of him more completely, his grip firm against her throat. Sylar stepped very deliberately over the dead bodies of Danko's men, his hand raised with that god awful smirk in place as always, making him look somehow more feral when combined with the black SWAT outfit. Claire spared a glance at Peter and the Haitian, the Haitain was a little worse for wear, but both he and Peter were watching Sylar carefully... waiting, no point in stopping him when he was clearly doing their job for them.

"I knew you were just like the others. Finally decided to side with your own kind then!" Danko sneered at Sylar.

Sylar spared his 'own kind' a half glance before returning his full attention on them looking irritated. "Not quite. But you were about to put a bullet in the brain of my future wife." The room fell silent and Claire winced, as one by one her family's eyes turned from Sylar onto her in disbelief and a fair amount of disgust; so much for keeping that little conversation private.

"What is it with you people, always wanting to protect this stupid little bitch!" Danko snarled and she felt the gun at the back of her head again; his words stung however true they were. But whatever patience Sylar seemed to have snapped, his hand opened and electricity coursed into her chest, Danko's grip became rigid and he screamed whilst the electricity passed over her into him. Claire couldn't feel it, not even a tingle as she narrowed her gaze at Sylar, his dark eyes held hers fixed in place, a promise in them. When his hand lowered she could smell the burnt flesh, Danko's hand dropped from around her throat and she heard his body collapse onto the floor... no doubt dead and probably a little crispy. A glance at Peter told her that she looked a little worse for wear, but she didn't look down to see her chest healing, it always did, she couldn't take her eyes off Sylar. He'd saved her, saved them all.

"That's enough!" Peter snapped and stepped towards Sylar who raised a large dark eyebrow and turned to stare at him in surprise. His eyes flickered to the Haitian who wore a grimace.

"You can't hold me." Sylar snarled at them both, looking offended that they'd even try.

"They don't need too for long." Her father spoke, his finger closed over the trigger and a shot rang out, Claire watched her mouth open as it hung suspended, but the strain on Sylar's face told her it was through no small effort. Nathan made to charge forward but he was rebutted by, what was for Sylar, a relatively weak jab that only winded him. Claire turned back to Danko, taking in the body of the man that had tried to take so much from them, who'd hated her with such single minded determination that she was more of a thing than a person to him. Reluctantly her eyes drew back to the man that had saved her, the monster that had staked his claim forever on her heart and she felt torn. Sweat beaded his brow as he held them off, all of them, her entire family against him, one man, a man slowly being drained of his abilities and he refused to stop, refused to give in.

He would pursue her with the same kind of single minded determination, obsessive in his belief that they were made for one another; that together they could stave off an eternity of loneliness. Claire had tried to be the hero, instead of the victim, but at every turn she was twisted, forced into something darker, manipulated and hardened. Every time she tried to save herself she lost a part of who she was, who she wanted to be. Claire couldn't forget Peter's words, the pain in his eyes when he had told her what she would become, a cold blooded killer. It wasn't what she wanted, she didn't want to be hard and cold, didn't want to be the monster; she wanted to be saved. Her eyes rose to Sylar's and he gazed back at her with piercing intensity, his lips pressed thin as he fought for control. Sylar would protect her, if only to protect the life he wanted, protect the immortal partner he needed; he'd save her.

His words already spreading through her veins pooled, converging and constricting her heart until it faltered in its hatred. Could she stand here and watch him die? She would be alone, truly alone, forever... was Sylar better than no one? Could she take the risk? In that moment Claire loathed him, her hatred for the monster exploded in her chest, and the poison words coiled around her heart like something real, something powerful. He had stolen her choice, because he knew her, knew her fears and Claire Bennet couldn't bear to be alone.

Claire's face was a mask of fury and despair as she stalked forwards, pushing through the line of her family before they even realised what was happening. With recklessness born of her rage she raised the small but solid gun in her hand and brought the butt of it down solidly on the back of Peter's head. His knees gave out and he crumpled to the floor, the Haitian stumbled forward as he alone bore the brunt of Sylar's full power, trying desperately to contain it. Not losing momentum Claire charged straight at Sylar slamming into his chest and sending them both sprawling onto the floor as the bullets that were suspended all around shot forwards and straight over their heads embedding themselves in the walls harmlessly.

"Claire!" her father roared, "What are you doing?" he stalked forwards but Sylar was already moving as he rolled over his hand raised and her dad was slammed back into the wall where he hung suspended his gun abandoned at his feet. The Haitian collapsed to the floor, his whole body shaking violently until he fell still, his shirt slick with blood from his gunshot. Sylar rose to his feet smoothly, looking like some kind of demon as electricity crackled around his hands his eyes black pools of quivering fire and intelligence; this was her monster and now she knew his weakness.

"Leave them alone." Her voice was surprisingly calm and oddly soft. He hesitated, only a fraction but it was there. Slowly he cocked his head, staring down at her as she stared up at him from her position on the floor. Holding her hand up to him she waited expectantly, he frowned, the electricity flickered out of existence and he extended his hand to her, pulling her to her feet; where he refused to release the hand she had offered. "I saved your life." She pointed out quietly to him and his eyebrows rose in what she recognised as amusement.

"I saved yours."

"Doesn't make us even." She replied just as smoothly. "You killed my mother, you killed me; you've tried to kill my entire family."

"And yet you saved me." He smirked and she felt her stomach curl unpleasantly, until it felt more like a nest of snakes had taken up residence there.

"Claire. This isn't the answer." Angela's voice had a quality to it that Claire was only just familiar with, heartbreak...

"Is Peter ok?" Claire asked pointedly ignoring her grandmother and not taking her eyes off Sylar's.

"He's breathing." Nathan snapped, but without his usual bite, he sounded nervous.

"I've considered it." Claire told Sylar quietly, not certain she could manage to raise her voice even if she wanted; it was taking all her strength to hold back from simply screaming at him.

He smirked and stepped closer until he was almost touching, his full height imposing over her as she raised her head to look at him. "And?" he whispered lowering his head and causing her to tense.

"And you're not dead." Claire replied. Sylar's eyes flashed and she felt her heart twinge as his words sunk a little deeper, taking root.

"Claire stop. Stop this!" Angela gasped and she could hear the panic in her grandmother's voice. "Nathan, Noah, make her stop!" she implored her fathers, but Nathan remained silent and she suspected her father was being physically restrained by Sylar still.

"You were right." The words tasted bitter as they fell from her lips, but she had no choice now, this was a decision she would never be able to undo. "Maybe not about everything," she added cutting down the smirk that was growing across his features. "But forever is a long time to say never."

"Don't Claire." Peter's pained voice drew her attention briefly and she turned to stare down at the man that had tried to desperately to save her. Her Uncle, her hero. None of them even fully understood the implications heavy in the air, but they were all so afraid to lose her that it didn't seem to matter how it happened.

"I'm sorry Peter." She told him genuinely, "But things have changed. None of us are the people we were supposed to be, the heroes we could have been." Tears splashed down her cheeks and she lifted her head to her father, his blue eyes implored her, but Sylar held his mouth firmly closed, silencing him, for which she was oddly grateful. "I'm sorry Dad, I know this isn't what you wanted for me, not even close." She smiled helplessly at him, "I should have been a better daughter, because you were the best Dad I could have asked for." Deliberately she took a step backwards and into Sylar, his chest pressed against her back, as his hands rose to her shoulders.

Claire considered the options, they shot through her with increasing desperation, she could ask him to spare her family, ask for time; hold his obsession over his head like leverage. But if there was one thing she had learnt since all of this had started, was that there was something bigger than them all, call it fate, destiny. Whenever she fought it, someone got hurt, like it or not her life and Sylar's were entwined, had been from the moment he'd failed to kill her that night, the moment a group of ordinary men and women had decided to be extraordinary. The day Hiro and Peter had changed time; changing hers and all of their fates.

Sylar couldn't be planned for, predicted, or bargained with, he was a law unto himself, a true force of nature and she was driftwood caught in his wake; they all were.

"Don't worry; I'll take good care of our little Claire-bear." Sylar aimed the jab at her family as his arms went around her waist, pulling her sharply back against him.

"Forever and ever." She added softly unable to hide her sorrow at the notion, causing him to press a sharp kiss to her temple.

"Exactly." He replied and Claire kept her eyes on her family as she disappeared in the arms of a monster, but no one, not even him, deserved forever alone.


End file.
